Is it a good how-to training video or not?
This past weekend I had the complex task of replacing the seal on a front-loading washing machine. I consider myself pretty handy, so I did what many people do and turned to YouTube for a how-to video. Let’s take a look at the video and break it down to determine if it’s an effective training video or if it needs improvement, or if it’s ineffective.
Let’s get to it!
How to Evaluate Learning Videos with a Rubric
Using a rubric will help you set a consistent standard for your learning video content. By evaluating content the same way for every project, you will be efficient and objective – every time. Below, I offer an review of How To: Samsung Door Boot Seal DC64-02805A. If you want to learn more about the rubric, visit How to Evaluate Learning Videos with a Rubric
Purpose
The purpose of this video is a 10 out of 10 as it is designed, made, and published to help teach the skills needed to the DIY repair person. The purpose was to provide step-by-step instructions to anyone who needed to replace a Samsung tub seal with a specific part number range.
Type of Video
This is clearly a How-to video, and the creator did a great job of titling the video: How To: Samsung Door Boot Seal DC64-02805A so that people could find the video on YouTube. If you want to learn more about the other types of learning videos, check out The 6 Types of Video for Learning.
Content
The accuracy, value, and objectives of this video are a 5 out of 5 as they hit everything that needs to be said and delivered.
You can tell that Matt from Appliance Pros has done this before and knows what he is talking about. He delivers the instruction in a pleasing tone of voice and with enough inflection to aid in learning. There is an obvious attention to scripting as the content value flows from one part of the task to the next without extra pauses or fluffy explanations unrelated to the task at hand. In the first 39 seconds, Matt lays out the objectives for this video so that I, the viewer, was able to understand what was contained in the minutes to come and so that I was able to expect the knowledge transfer. Well done indeed!
I took a point off for Bias as we only see Matt in the entire video. It is not overt in the tacit acceptance of hegemony, but in a review of their other videos they also only feature “white-looking” males in their videos.
The call-to-action is clearly pointing you toward other appliance parts videos and products. This is where the learning video becomes a marketing video. This does not mean there is anything wrong with the video, simply that it is not for learning purposes only.
The story of the video also gets a point off because they did not give me the setup of what I might need to do the job, nor did they give me clear indicators of how long this might take, and they lacked pauses to show a completed task. However, there is a clear beginning, middle, and end to the video and I’ve learned that pausing, rewinding, and stepping forward were all features of the video that enabled me to learn what I needed to learn.
The video is clearly integrated into the company’s YouTube page to help sell other parts. I’ll be honest here, I’d go back to Matt and his company then next time I need to make an appliance repair as I found the video very well made!
Technical
Technically, the video is almost perfect. Quality, audio, lighting and distribution were all a 5 out of 5. Obviously, the video was shot in a studio or a studio like setting with professional audio and lighting. The editing is professional and does not take away from the purpose or content. I did take two points away because I’m a learning video nerd and was longing for some overlays and text to tell me what to do next or chapter the video. I found it hard to locate certain sections when I put the phone down. For example, I needed to carry out the task in the video. I dropped a screw and spent 10 minutes extracting in from within the washer. When I went back to the video, it restarted. If there were text overlays or chapter marks, I could easily locate my spot.
Total Score
The total score is not a pass/fail or letter grade. Please don’t view a score as high praise or crippling criticism. Instead, a rubric should give the creator a score so that they can alter the content in the video to make it more effective for their audience. I’d say Appliance Pros is doing great with their videos as they have high view counts and lots of positive comments. However, there is always room for improvement.
Remember, your ultimate goal in making a learning video is to improve the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of your learning audience. This learning video rubric will help you evaluate learning videos so that you keep the KSB promise!
Summary
Now that you have seen how this rubric can be used to break down a professional video, try it out for yourself. Try out the rubric. If you find that the purpose, type, content, and technical categories need a slight tweak, then make the change to the rubric so it suits your needs. This rubric is meant to support your learning as you strive to make better learning videos for your audience. Go to How to Evaluate Learning Videos with a Rubric for an annotated guide on how to use the rubric.
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